Study in New England Journal of Medicine: Colonoscopy saves lives

GI Society leaders respond to the latest scientific evidence

2013-09-19

(Press-News.org) Bethesda, MD (Sept. 18, 2013) — A study published in the Sept. 19 New England Journal of Medicine provides some of the clearest evidence to date that colonoscopy has advantages over sigmoidoscopy for the prevention of colorectal cancer.

Researchers followed 88,902 study participants for 22 years and found that 1,815 developed colorectal cancer. Investigators estimated that 40 percent of those cancers could have been prevented if all of the patients in the study had received colonoscopy.

"Thanks to colonoscopy, fewer people than ever before are developing or dying from colorectal cancer," said Anil K. Rustgi, MD, AGAF, president of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.

"Gastroenterologists, the specialists who screen for colorectal cancer, are proud of our role in this public health success story," added Ronald J. Vender, MD, FACG, president of the American College of Gastroenterology.

Screening is recommended starting at age 50 for people who are at average risk for colorectal cancer. There are many screening options, including the two used in this study: sigmoidoscopy (every five years), which reaches the lower third of the colon, and colonoscopy (every 10 years), which reaches the entire colon. Read full screening guidelines.

When comparing mortality rates in this study, researchers found that only colonoscopy was associated with reduced death from cancer in the proximal colon — the first part of the colon that physicians can see only via colonoscopy. Promixal colorectal cancer is more common in African Americans than whites1.

"Proximal colorectal cancers are associated with worse survival odds2. Colonoscopy allows gastroenterologists to not only visualize this hard-to-reach area of the body, but to remove pre-cancerous polyps, preventing a deadly disease," said Kenneth K. Wang, MD, FASGE, president of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Of the more than 50,000 people expected to die of colorectal cancer in 2013, screening could have saved more than half of them3.

Researchers with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, University of Aberdeen (UK), University of Tokyo Hospital and the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute) analyzed information from the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, which gather comprehensive health information from participants every two years. Study citation: Nishihara R, Wu K, Lochhead MB, et al. Long-Term Colorectal-Cancer Incidence and Mortality after Lower Endoscopy. N Engl J Med 2013;369:1095-105.

### About the American College of Gastroenterology Founded in 1932, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) is an organization with an international membership of more than 12,000 individuals from 80 countries. The College is committed to serving the clinically oriented digestive disease specialist through its emphasis on scholarly practice, teaching and research. The mission of the College is to serve the evolving needs of physicians in the delivery of high quality, scientifically sound, humanistic, ethical, and cost-effective health care to gastroenterology patients. http://www.gi.org

About the AGA Institute The American Gastroenterological Association is the trusted voice of the GI community. Founded in 1897, the AGA has grown to include 17,000 members from around the globe who are involved in all aspects of the science, practice and advancement of gastroenterology. The AGA Institute administers the practice, research and educational programs of the organization. http://www.gastro.org.

About the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Since its founding in 1941, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) has been dedicated to advancing patient care and digestive health by promoting excellence and innovation in gastrointestinal endoscopy. ASGE, with more than 12,000 members worldwide, promotes the highest standards for endoscopic training and practice, fosters endoscopic research, recognizes distinguished contributions to endoscopy, and is the foremost resource for endoscopic education. Visit http://www.asge.org and http://www.screen4coloncancer.org for more information and to find a qualified doctor in your area.

1 Am J Gastroenterol. 2005 Mar;100(3):515-23; discussion 514
2 Wong RJ Gen Intern Med. 2010 Nov;25(11):1157-63. doi: 10.1007/s11606-010-1460-4.
3 ACS: Cancer Prevention & Early Detection Facts & Figures 2013

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

New treatment for 'arthritis of the spine' prevents paralysis

2013-09-19

Toronto, Canada (September 18, 2013) – In a world-first, decompression surgery has been shown to be an effective procedure to treat cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) – a common progressive, degenerative disease of the spine that can lead to paralysis – according to the results of a multi-centre clinical trial published today. The study, with its use of multiple outcome measures to determine patient improvement, is the first research of its kind to show that decompression surgery has a significant improvement in both the symptoms and quality of life of CSM patients ...

Study helps deconstruct estrogen's role in memory

2013-09-19

MILWAUKEE – The loss of estrogens at menopause increases a woman's risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, yet hormone replacement therapy can cause harmful side effects. Knowing the exact mechanism of estrogen activation in the brain could lead to new targets for drug development that would provide middle-aged women the cognitive benefits of hormone replacement therapy without increasing their risk for cardiovascular disease or breast cancer. In a new study, Karyn Frick, professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), uncovers details about ...

X-ray science taps bug biology to design better materials and reduce pollution

2013-09-19

Bug spray, citronella candles, mosquito netting – most people will do anything they can to stay away from insects during the warmer months. But those creepy crawlers we try so hard to avoid may offer substantial solutions to some of life's problems. Researchers using the cutting-edge X-ray technology at the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Photon Source (APS) were able to take an inside look at several insects, gathering results that go beyond learning about insect physiology and biology. What they found could provide a blueprint for a material used for artificial ...

Beyond quantum simulation: JILA physicists create 'crystal' of spin-swapping ultracold gas molecules

2013-09-19

Physicists at JILA have created a crystal-like arrangement of ultracold gas molecules that can swap quantum "spin" properties with nearby and distant partners. The novel structure might be used to simulate or even invent new materials that derive exotic properties from quantum spin behavior, for electronics or other practical applications. Described in a Nature paper* posted online on Sept. 18, 2013, the JILA experiment is the first to record ultracold gas molecules exchanging spins at a distance, a behavior that may be similar to that of intriguing solids such as "frustrated" ...

How old memories fade away

2013-09-19

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- If you got beat up by a bully on your walk home from school every day, you would probably become very afraid of the spot where you usually met him. However, if the bully moved out of town, you would gradually cease to fear that area. Neuroscientists call this phenomenon "memory extinction": Conditioned responses fade away as older memories are replaced with new experiences. A new study from MIT reveals a gene that is critical to the process of memory extinction. Enhancing the activity of this gene, known as Tet1, might benefit people with posttraumatic ...

Different stories play different roles in patients' health decision-making, MU researcher says

2013-09-19

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Individuals often turn to others for advice when making choices. Perhaps, it seems fitting then, that individuals would seek out others when they are faced with important health decisions. Yet, health communicators have debated whether stories should be included in patient decision-aids (which are informational materials designed to help patients make educated choices about their health) because they worry stories are too biased. Now, an MU researcher has found that stories used in decision-aids don't necessarily bias patients' decision-making; rather, certain ...

Blood biomarker could mark severe cognitive decline, quicker progression among Parkinson's patients

2013-09-19

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- A genetic mutation, known as GBA, that leads to early onset of Parkinson's disease and severe cognitive impairment (in about 4 to 7 percent of all patients with the disease) also alters how specific lipids, ceramides and glucosylceramides are metabolized. Mayo Clinic researchers have found that Parkinson's patients who do not carry the genetic mutation also have higher levels of these lipids in the blood. Further, those who had Parkinson's and high blood levels were also more likely to have cognitive impairment and dementia. The research was recently ...

African dust storms in our air

2013-09-19

MIAMI, FLORIDA, (September 18, 2013)—You might find it hard to believe that dust clouds from the African Sahara can travel thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean, but it does every year and in large quantities. In a recent study, Joseph Prospero, professor emeritus at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and collaborators at the University of Houston and Arizona State University found that the average air concentrations of inhalable particles more than doubled during a major Saharan dust intrusion in Houston, Texas. ...

Study helps bring genome's 'dark matter' into light

2013-09-19

Using technology he helped develop, Vanderbilt University scientist Bryan Venters, Ph.D., has shed new light on the "dark matter" of the genome and has begun to explore a possible new approach to treating cancer. "Clarity is everything," said Venters, assistant professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics who further developed the high-resolution technology as a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Frank Pugh, Ph.D., at Pennsylvania State University before moving to Vanderbilt in January. Venters and Pugh are co-authors of a paper published this week in the journal ...

CWRU researchers find what stresses parents with a chronically ill child

2013-09-19

The extra demands on parents of chronically ill children cause stress that affects the whole family, according to a systematic review conducted by Case Western Reserve University researchers that also explored what factors in the child's care most contribute to the added strain. The findings, reported in the August issue of the Journal of Pediatric Psychology article, "Parenting Stress Among Caregivers of Children With Chronic Illness: A Systematic Review," were based on an assessment of 96 peer-reviewed studies in 12 countries between 1980 and 2012. Researchers examined ...

Study in New England Journal of Medicine: Colonoscopy saves lives

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: